I made it back to India and The Rishikesh Earthship Yoga Ashram, just! Yesterday felt like every step of the way could have gone oh so wrong but thanks to providence i made it back here and finally get to stay in the Earthship that i helped to build over 5 years ago now. I almost didn’t even get out of Thailand as i decided not to take a PCR test and just wing it a bit. I’ve had enough darn tests, and they cost around $100 in Thailand which was as much as the flight!
I was extra nervous to take a test as my friend tested false positive and ended up getting quarantined in an expensive hotel until she could retest herself, and of course she was negative. I waited a long 15 minutes whilst the check-in staff consulted with various managers to see if could be allowed on the flight. The only issue was that i am only partially vaccinated, but since i have had COVID and one jab it actually does mean i am as good as fully vaccinated. I stayed calm and just played the game until finally a nice Indian manager came to the rescue and gave permission for me to fly. He informed me that even though he was going to allow it, the MAY quarantine me in Bangalore when i landed. I was pretty sure it would be OK, but was slightly nervous as i had two more domestic flights to get me to Rishikesh, and i had just one hour to clear all customs and checks so i would make the check-in on time.
In the end things went very smoothly in Bangalore and i was the very first person to meet the covid marshal as i had run like a crazy person to make sure i didn't get delayed. In the end he didn’t even look at my certificate and just checked out a more generic Air Suvida form very causally and then just said "Challo" which is a casual term basically meaning 'get out of here' .. which is was more than happy to do! i brisked past passport control with no questions and was through the whole charade in 15 minutes! Incredible efficiency India!
Things were a little more tight on the next flight, and i was 10 minutes late for the final flight check-in. They didn’t really leave enough time for me to get my luggage, then find the shuttle bus to another terminal, and then to check-in again. Even more frustrating was having the shuttle bus stopped by airport police because it was leaking oil! How annoying was that, but i kept my cool, and also pleaded with the officer through the driver window as they chatted about it in Hindi. Fortunately it was a short delay and the check-in clerk was not one of those 'computer says no' types.. and let me check-in even though i was past their official deadline! I ran through the security as quick as I could, which of course meant i ended up getting delayed further as they waded through my many electrical wires and what not.. but thankfully just as i got to the boarding gate the boarding started and i was IN! Phew!
Yogi Amitram met me at the airport, and instantly i was in a totally different world from the clean, calm, polite and sweet Thailand! I was BACK in India, and Rishikesh was heaving with people, the roads bursting at their seams, dust everywhere, smoky fires on the side of the road, holy men asleep on the side of the pavement, cows freely roaming, a family of four on motorbikes weaving through tragic.. oh India! I missed it! The word "Freedom" passed through my mind many times.. and despite the intensity of it all i felt very happy to be back in the chaos and extremes that India is!
Fortunately the Yoga Ashram is up in the mountains far from the city, so i knew i would soon be out of the craziness. I do enjoy the intensity of it all, but only for a few hours as I do my shopping or have an afternoon out, and then i do much prefer the peace and quiet of nature.
We stopped of at a Hotel for an Indian buffet and I was more than happy to be eating a good Indian vegetarian meal after so much food abuse in Thailand. Its fair to say i ate like crazy out there, and now i have get back in balance before i pop! The food was delicious and I had a nice catch up with Yogi Amitram before we drove up the mountain. We haven't seen each other for around three years, and it was nice to spend time with someone i can relate to very well after a month of virtual solitude in Thailand.
I felt warmly welcome and we reached the Ashram at 11:30pm, pretty exhausted and ready for a good night sleep in the Earthship! The Earthship is looking fantastic and is performing well in these hot summers. I have stayed in the Ashram before but never in the Earthship so i was looking forward to this opportunity. Suffice is to say i slept like a baby in a very comfortable bed, overlooking the entire city of Rishikesh and the holy Ganga river. Yogi Amitram chose a great spot for the Earthship, and it does amaze me how well he finished it after i left. I helped to initiate the project during a two weeks workshop where we got the basics completed, but it was Yoga Amitram who then worked for two years after that to finish the build and get the finishing done. We have a similar taste and i really love the style, look and feel that it has.
My plan is to stay here for 10 days, whilst i focus on meditation and eating healthy and Less. I’m hoping that by the time i leave that my stomach doesn’t feel like a balloon ready to pop, and then from here lets see where i go next! I will decide soon, and am tempted to visit Minali as i have never been up the Himalayas, and going back to my base in Puttaparhy means going back to 42 degrees Celsius heat which is not going to be much fun.
So happy to be back, i missed India despite the wonderful pampering that is Thailand. I think that Thailand is just the perfect place to have a vacation, get pampered and enjoy everything being very clean and comfortable.. but at the end of the day i think i do prefer the casual free and unbridled world that is India.
Tomorrow i will check out the meditation cave, which im also very excited to experience. Yogi Amitram had a vision in a dream that there was a cave right behind the Earthship, and once he had instructed his workers to dig at the front they immediately discovered a very special cave indeed! Today it is a meditation cave with a temple that he built in front of it. The walls are a kind of crystal rock that is said to be very conducive to meditation.. and the climate in there is also going to be a perfect cool..
So that’s my little update today, thanks for stopping by, and lets see what tomorrow brings! <3 much love hope you all have a great week ahead!
Check Out The Rishikesh Earthship
Ah the joys of traveling! Glad you made it back safely and had a great time. Beautiful pictures of that earthship!
thank you! yes so good to be back in familiar india! and yes the pics show it off so well.. very special earthship this one!
WOW!!! What a beautiful earthship and view!!! I'm glad to see you made it back in one piece hehe, but you're survivor so didn't expect anything else from you.
Now we'll have to buy some land here and have you here for a while to help me build here as well haha. So plan that in your diary please! ;)
Glad you made it safely back. The spaceship looks incredible. Unbelievable view. Thanks for sharing.
THank you! yes me too.. that was a close call most of the way.. made it all the more exciting to make it here!
Wow, what a challenge to get back home! You are lucky that they didn't stop you anywhere :)
And even more wow's for the beautiful yoga ashram. Just wow! Amazing work :) how cool that you helped building it and this is the end result, a true gem in nature!
thanks! yeah i got lucky for sure.. made it all the more exciting of course.. i nearly the did PCR but then i like , screw it lets try winging it a bit!
hahaha, glad it worked out :) I would seriously not dare to risk that when we fly out of here, imagine getting stuck and having to go back with all our stuff, waiting for another flight with all accommodations being paid. Nah, I will just do the PCR :) lol
but I would not mind them lifting that obviously!
yeah, i guess also being stuck in Thailand was not such a bad possibility.. maybe somewhere deep down thats what i was hoping for! lolz
either way the adrenaline rush and excitement made it a bit more fun.. i guess i like living on the edge sometimes after so long in comfomrt
OMG bro! Your trips are so exciting! Thanks for allowing us to live it with you. Hope the best for you in this stage of the journey, and my God bless you.
- EvM
thank you! <3
thank you!!! much appreciated <3
I Am stunned by the view and trees around it also I really like places that are quiet and cooled so this catches my eye very well. Hope the meditation goes well and have a great stay.
🙂
thank you! yes meditation going well :)
Great! "Challo" doesn't mean 'get out of here' but it means "Let's go" 😄 @eco-alex and I am sure they were talking at Bangalore airport was Kannada and not Hindi. I guess you took a flight to Delhi and another one to Dehradun.
How I wish I could come to Rishikesh and meet you. But I am having severe back pain due to my careless biking with flat tires. By the way, I passed through the area you're in right now on my way to Narendranagar where we saw Ananda Yoga Resort only 2 weeks ago. I hope you will enjoy your stay and all the yoga facilities there. My best wishes.
Narendra Nagar just a few km where you are right now. I took this pic 14 days ago.
ahh! yes thanks for clarifying that! i guess he just meant off you go! either way i was happy to get moved on and out the covid zone :)
sorry to hear about your back! that sounds painful.. i know how bad it can be.. wishing you better!
Wow that ashram is no less than a 5 Star Hotel !!
Awesome. What a view.
Ah! I need a vacation, lol!
Glad to hear you made it to India, and oh! That Earthship is the most beautiful abode ever! I love the indoor planter and that bedroom! Holy view! Hope you enjoy the meditation cave and a your stay is refreshing and rejuvenating😊
thank you! yes such a great spot overlooking rishikesh.. out of the madness.. and heat... and yes tomorrow morning i head to the meditation cave.. its very special in there.. like another world with stalagmite crystal rocks :)
It does look very peaceful and awe-inspiring up there, and I adore caves! It does feel like being transported to another world when you are among the stalagmites and stalactites, so happy for you that you get to enjoy that😊
Welcome back, despite everything, we are happy - that is the diversity of our culture. And by the way, the Earthship is no lesser than a 5-star luxurious place - can we go and stay there ?
it is gorgeous.. wow.. such a special place..
it is on airbnb in fact.. yogi amitram hosts people regularly and creates a beautiful experience.. it is an ashram also so not the run over the mill type thing...
https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/28050037?adults=2&location=Rishikesh&source_impression_id=p3_1649005738_O0WcLAHOA%2B2AEKfV
if you do book best to mention my name as he doesnt accept many bookings as he tries to balance his other activities with guests..
Do they serve food there ?
yes yes.. its only communal eating.. ashram style with some lovely cooks. but its very cozy and small.. its few very people and also not everyone is even allowed to come.. yogi amitram is quite selective and also its quite strict rules.. no alcohol , no smoking etc ..
Excellent Retreat!
Stay Frosty
And change your blog while your at it...
hey! oh blurt.. well i tried it once way back .. but it seemed a bit ... quiet ..
Not No More!
And BLURT needs good Posters like You!
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